[Home] [Norway Index] [Mail me on the road!]
I got up far too early, in time to catch the 7.45 ferry from Svolvær to Bodø. The trip was uneventful. I tried to sleep most of the way. A woman with a baby came on board at one of the stops. She wanted to put her pram by the window so that he could see out. My bag was in the way, and I could see she was struggling so I moved my bag. This allowed her to move the pram, but she didn't acknowledge me, no smile or thank-you. This happens a lot with strangers in Norway. I think it's just a general culture difference. On the train I noticed the same thing. The corridors are narrow so you have to move out of people's way but people just ignore you. I have started to feel self-concious about smiling or saying thank-you, excuse me, or sorry to strangers. People don't hold doors open for each other, either. Social norms are different as you move around the world, often in petty but somehow significant ways.
I am now trapped waiting for a train in Bodø. I say, trapped, because there's not much here. Even if it was sunny there wouldn't be a park to sit in. I spent the day reading magazines in the shopping centre, and going to see the movie About a Boy, or Gutter er Gutter as it is called here. The movie cheered me up. I could relate to the central character, who is basically alone, trying not to have any responsibility, and is somewhat bemused by all the people around him having families. I am alone here in Bodø and Norway is a very family oriented place. Everyone seems to have small children. As an independant traveller with no responsibilites I feel disconnected from and somewhat bemused by these strange, other people. Anyway, the movie was very funny. Now I only have an hour and ten minutes to wait for the train.
The overnight train was pleasant again. This time I shared a cabin with a friendly Norwegian guy who was visiting his family and friends in Oslo. He was particularly interested to read my copy of FHM that I had bought to entertain myself in Bodø. In Trondheim there was a short wait for the onward train to Dombås, and then another change of trains for Åndalsnes, where I am currently waiting for the bus to Ålesund. The train between Dombås and Åndalsnes included a very scenic descent into the Romsdal valley. Once at the bottom it was possible to look up at the 1800m Troll's Wall, only the bottom few hundred metres of which showed below the cloud. Åndalsnes is a pleasant place to sit for an hour with a view down the fjord.
I slept through at least half of the bus trip. All this public transport takes it out of you a bit. I normally feel quite energetic after a long drive but worn out after a long stint as a passenger. By the time I arrived in Ålesund I had been travelling South for 20 hours straight on a train or a bus, or waiting for changes. Admittedly a lot of that time was spent sleeping on the night train, but still.
Alesund is a smallish town. Much bigger than Svolvær where I'd just come from but much smaller than Trondheim, Bergen or Oslo. There is a lot of Art Nouveau architecture here, and a fair bit of 60s style concrete too, but overall it's a nice enough place overlooking the water. I spent some time walking around town, grabbed a pizza, and then retired to my cheap room in some student accomodation.